Monthly Archives: June 2018

Van Eaton Galleries is proud to present “A Brief History of the Walt Disney Studios”, an Exhibition and Auction. This one-of-a-kind auction examines the events and individuals that helped build the Walt Disney Studios and theme parks into what we know them as today. This auction contains remarkable artifacts from Walt’s early life, such as a stock certificate for Walt’s animation company “Laugh-O-Gram” Studios, as well as Walt Disney’s personal business card from his time working on the Oswald cartoons. This auction also contains such items as animators’ desks and furniture from the Walt Disney Studios, rare animation artwork from the 1920s up through the Disney Renaissance, original Disneyland props and artifacts, as well as the original brownline that Walt Disney first drew the boundary of Disneyland on. This remarkable auction contains nearly 600 items, and represents almost 100 years of creativity and imagination from the mind of Walt Disney and the employees of the Walt Disney Studios.

Lot 187 presents the original track from Walt Disney’s backyard railroad, estimated in auction value from $50000 to $60000. This unique opportunity of early Disney history is explained as follows:

“(Disney, 1949) A large section of track from Walt Disney’s backyard railroad, the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. This unique, highly-engineered section of track was built at the Walt Disney Studios machine shop by Imagineer Roger Broggie and his staff. This section of cross track is the largest remaining piece of Walt’s backyard railroad known to still exist. After Walt passed, the aluminum track was removed from his Carolwood property and donated to the Los Angeles Live Steamers where it formed the “Disney Loop” at their Griffith Park layout. In the 1990s, the track was replaced with steel rail and this iconic cross section, shown in photos with Walt Disney and the Lilly Belle locomotive, was saved. The cross track is mounted on a sturdy, framed plywood board with the correct gravel ballast affixed to the display. Below the track is a plaque noting the track’s significance and history. For years, this framed track was a highlight of a display at Walt Disney’s barn in Griffith Park. The framed display measures 47″x84.25″ and is in very good condition with expected wear from use, including the personal use and enjoyment of Walt Disney himself.”

The most valuable prize of this auction is Walt Disney’s hand drawn boundary of Disneyland. This incredible treasure is valued at well over $100000 and is a one of a kind piece. It his the auction block at Lot 340 and is fully described by the auctioneer:

“(Disneyland, 1953) In August of 1953, architect Marvin Davis created a plot plan of the orange groves purchased by Walt Disney on which to build his theme park. While reviewing the plot plan with Davis, Walt Disney took his grease pencil and drew a triangle to represent where he wanted the trains to run, thus creating the boundaries of the park and giving birth to Disneyland as we know it. Measuring 28″x25″ this incredible piece of Disneyland history represents not only the earliest known appearance of the shape of Disneyland or its depiction in Anaheim, but also Walt Disney’s personal involvement and input in every aspect of the park, including its boundaries. This site plan comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society that is signed by Marvin Davis, the creator of the site plan who witnessed Walt Disney drawing the boundaries; and Michael Broggie, Founder & Historian at the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. Additionally, the historical record of this site plan can be further read about in the Disneyland History book, “Walt Disney’s Railroad Story” by Michael Broggie. This incredible artifact represents the true beginnings of Walt’s park and is a well-established piece of Disneyland history. The plan is professionally mounted in a custom 40″x37″ frame with a plaque. The site plan is in good condition with some tearing around edges of the paper and expected wear from age and use.”

The entire catalog can be browsed online at anytime through iCollector.com to see all the photos, descriptions, and estimates. The auction will commence live at 11 AM Pacific time with a live broadcast, and anyone not able to bid live is encouraged to leave their best bids in the iCollector.com system at anytime before auction day. Van Eaton Galleries are the greatest auctioneer of Disneyland memorabilia in the world, and this auction continues to raise their reputation and prestige in the industry. Any questions can be answered by them through email or telephone and their expertise will guide all collectors to finding their treasures.

ABOUT VAN EATON GALLERIES

Van Eaton Galleries is one of the world’s premier original animation art and collectibles galleries. The Gallery is located in Sherman Oaks, California and specializes in unique original animation artwork. Established in 1994, the gallery offers distinct collections from the world of animation and special exhibits and events for collectors, fans, and guests from around the globe. The gallery’s regular operating hours for the public are Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Van Eaton Galleries has offered such collections as The Story of Disneyland, Collecting Disney, and Walt Disney’s Disneyland, as well as original animation artwork from Disney, Warner Bros., Dreamworks, Hanna-Barbera, Don Bluth and many other studios.